Clancy: On the roof some things are clearer

Not only was the weather perfect in Port Jefferson, the job was “a walker,” in roofer parlance, Nicolaou said, meaning a slightly graded surface, way safer than a pitched roof, which has an unprintable nickname. Even working on walkers, the job requires bravery, since, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, roofers suffer injuries at a much higher rate than other workers. They have the third highest rate of construction jobsite fatalities, right on the heels of ironworkers and power installers. The American Journal of Industrial Hygiene’s research shows six out of 10 roofers leave their jobs because of chronic pain and musculoskeletal disorders, which makes you think about those tinkering with Social Security to raise the retirement age. No sweat hiking the age for journalists and politicians, but you wonder how the guys working the roof will feel in their early 60s.

Carnahan said making the decision to redo her roof was an easy one, especially with King Quality’s workmanship and the half-century guarantee. “You’ve got to protect your investment,” she said, adding that her daughter was a senior in college and will graduate soon, giving some space for the cost of the work.

“You have to think, ‘Do I want a new car or go on a vacation?’” Carnahan said. Asked when she’d buy a new car, she smiled and said, “We just bought one.”

And a vacation? She laughed and said she was Caribbean-bound in three weeks.

Nicolaou watched his crew swinging the rippers. “I’m like everyone else,” he said. “I came here, met a girl, got married and here I am.”

Maybe it was just the May-in-March weather, but there was no trace of the Uncertainty beast on the roof or Carnahan’s front lawn.